Softball snags championship title

The university softball team (13-12) swept Cornell, Iowa, and Hartford in a weekend long run of victories that won them the Stetson Classic championship title.

Before the weekend, the Hatters held a losing record of 9-12 and had just broken their nine-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over Liberty Tuesday, March 10.

The tournament began Friday, March 13 with Iowa's 7-1 win over Hartford. The Hatters gave Hartford their second loss in the next game and brought Iowa down in the third.

Erica Demers pitched the game against Hartford, giving up only one run. The score remained 1-0 Hartford through the first five innings.

In the top of the sixth, the university broke through with a key home run by junior pitcher Amanda Lindsey to tie up the score.

Andrea Migliori followed Lindsey's notion in the top of the seventh, slamming another one over the fence, stealing a 2-1 lead which Demers secured with no runs by Hartford in the final inning.

As the Hatters stepped back on the field to face Iowa, they were met with a grueling five innings of pitching duels and multiple errors by each team.

Finally in the bottom of the fifth, Amanda Lindsey shattered the stalemate with her second home run of the day, scoring herself, Amy Joyce, and Andrea Migliori for a 3-0 lead.

The hits seemed contagious as Iowa opened up the sixth inning with four runs and secured what looked to be a sure victory with a fifth run in the top of the seventh.

Determined not to fall from the team's success, Migliori sent a 2-run slammer into the streets, bringing the game into the tie-breaking eighth inning.

Migliori became the third player in Atlantic Sun Conference history to hit 50 career home runs and set the university career RBI record.

To wrap up the game, junior catcher Jessica Lokeinsky smacked a clean hit to send freshman Grace Turner around the bases into home plate, ending the day with a 6-5 win.

Jessica Lokeinsky said, "We stayed positive and were more relaxed at the plate. We just have to stay focused and make sure we are all for one."

Before the team came out for their next head hunting, Cornell shut out Hartford 4-0, and Iowa ended a five-inning game 11-3 with Cornell and spanked Hartford 10-0.

Cornell gave the Hatters a run for their money through the first five and a half innings, the score remaining a painful 0-0, with Cornell in the lead with hits.

In the bottom of the sixth the first two from the university were caught out on fly balls. Then the A-team trio stepped up to the plate to change everything.

Amy Joyce and Andrea Migliori had two solid hits to gain first and second base and Amanda Lindsey rocketed a center hit to send the two scrambling home.

No runs in the top of the seventh meant a solid 2-0 victory for the Hatters, their future of a championship title the next day looking bright.

Coach Griffin said, "The game could have gone either way, we took advantage of some key opportunities and played well defensively."